military collegues: kerry unfit to be commander in chief

AR182

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Marc Morano, CNSNews.com

Monday, May 3, 2004

Hundreds of former commanders and military colleagues of presumptive Democrat nominee John Kerry are set to declare in a signed letter that he is "unfit to be commander in chief." They will do so at a press conference Tuesday in Washington.
"What is going to happen on Tuesday is an event that is really historical in dimension," John O'Neill, a Vietnam veteran who served in the Navy as a PCF (Patrol Craft Fast) boat commander, told CNSNews.com. The event, expected to draw about 25 of the letter-signers, is being organized by a newly formed group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

"We have 19 of 23 officers who served with [Kerry]. We have every commanding officer he ever had in Vietnam. They all signed a letter that says he is unfit to be commander in chief," O'Neill said.

O'Neill, an attorney in Houston, Texas, is no stranger to Kerry. O'Neill served in the same naval unit as Kerry and commanded Kerry's swift boat after Kerry returned to the United States.

Kerry's command of the PCF boat lasted four months and ended shortly after he received his third Purple Heart. According to naval regulations at the time, any soldier who received three Purple Hearts could request a transfer out of the combat zone.

Kerry and O'Neill engaged in a nationally televised debate in 1971 on "The Dick Cavett Show" over Kerry's allegations that many Vietnam soldiers had routinely engaged in atrocities such as raping and cutting off ears and heads of Vietnamese soldiers and citizens. Kerry was the then spokesman for the anti-war group Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

"We are going to be presenting a letter that deals with Kerry's unfitness to be commander and chief that has been signed by hundreds of swift boat sailors, including most of those who served with Kerry," O'Neill explained.

"The ranks of the people signing [the letter] range from admiral down to seaman, and they run across the entire spectrum of politics, specialties and political feelings about the Vietnam War," he added.

Among those scheduled to attend the event at the National Press Club and declare Kerry unfit for the role of commander in chief are retired Naval Rear Adm. Roy Hoffman, who was the commander of the Navy Coastal Surveillance Force, which included the swift boats on which Kerry served.

Also scheduled to be present at the event is Kerry's former commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Grant Hibbard. Hibbard recently questioned whether Kerry deserved the first of his three Purple Hearts that he received in Vietnam. Hibbard doubted the severity of the wound and whether it resulted from enemy fire.

"I've had thorns from a rose that were worse" than Kerry's wound for which he received a Purple Heart, Hibbard told the Boston Globe in April.

Organizers are confident that Tuesday's event and the letter with hundreds of signatures would educate people about Kerry.

"It is one of the largest outpourings of concern about him being commander in chief that anybody could have in a presidential campaign, and it is by the people who know him best," O'Neill said.

'Unfit Commander in Chief'

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth maintains that Kerry's fellow Vietnam veterans are almost uniform in their disdain for his military service and anti-war protests.

"Not only a majority of the people who served with him feel that way, but a vast and overwhelming majority," O'Neill said. He added that more than "90 percent of the people contacted by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth responded to the request to sign their name, with only 12 declining to sign."

"Comrades who actually served with him, almost all of them, are opposed to him, and believe he would be an unfit commander in chief and intend to bring the truth of his actual record to the attention of the American people," O'Neill said.

He hopes the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth can reveal to the American people what he sees as Kerry's flawed character.

"In the military, loyalty between commanders and the troops serving them is a two-way street. We have here a guy that with all of us in the field, actually fighting the North Vietnamese, came home and then falsely accused all of us of war crimes at a time when the people in uniform couldn't even respond," O'Neill said.

"And he did that knowing that was a lie," he added.

'Real John Kerry'

B.G. Burkett, author of the book "Stolen Valor" and a military researcher, believes that Tuesday's event will not be dismissed easily by Kerry's campaign as a "partisan" attack.

"There are probably just as many Democrats amongst sailors who sailed swift boats as there are Republicans. What Kerry fails to realize is this has nothing to do with politics; this has to with Vietnam veterans who served, who have a beef with John Kerry's service, both during and after the war," Burkett told CNSNews.com.

"The American people do not know John Kerry, and hopefully the swift boat crews and other Vietnam veterans will make sure that the American public knows the real John Kerry," he said.

Jim Loftus of Kerry's press office referred questions about Swift Boat Veterans for Truth's event on Tuesday to spokesman David Wade. Wade did not return CNSNews.com's requests for comment.
 

Caesar

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Here, here

Here, here

Thank you so much for posting this great article. As a member of the Armed Forces, I can honestly say that this is the majority feeling amongst the entire military spectrum.
On the same day of Pat Tillman's Memorial Service, honor should be one of our cornerstones.
When I asked my nine-year old if he knew why they were having this ceremony on TV, he stated that he was a football player that was killed. When I told him, that Pat Tillman died for his country as a soldier, he hugged me and said, "Thank you daddy, for being a soldier. I love you." It all fits.
:D
 

AR182

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caesar,


great post.

i'm glad you appreciated the article.


thank you for serving in the military.

stay safe.
 

ctownguy

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do you all think the big 4 media will cover the press conference:shrug:

not like they would if Pres Bush was getting slammed:nono:
 

loophole

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i can't stand bush, see ulterior motives in all public events of this kind, but i find this kind of unanimous condemnation by brothers in arms to be compelling. there's no one better to judge a man's character.
 

StevieD

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It seems strange to me that this man was good enough to be a United States Senator for about 20 years but let him try to challenge Boy George and suddenly he is a terrible person. It is tough to challenge big business.
 

Eddie Haskell

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The reality is this..... Kerry served in Viet Nam, witnesses atrocities committed by fellow soldiers (worse than the current atrocities du jour) returns to a nation squarely against this war, speaks out and tells the truth. Of course, those who committed the atrocities and continue (why, I don't know) to believe that Viet Nam was the right thing to do, feel like he was a traitor.

Frankly, AR, you can find and print as many one-sided articles as you want about Kerry's war record. Obviously, those veterans who, like some on this board, believe that the US can do no wrong, are going to come out against a veteran who tells it like it is. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do not think that your point and the point of your fellow right wingers is that Kerry's opposition to and revelations about what actually occured in Viet Nam is wrong, are you? You aren't saying what he did and said was based in truth?

Kerry spoke the harsh, but real, truth about Viet Nam. It will piss off some flag waving, US can do no wrong, Vets, sure. For my money, I will stand by what McCain says about Kerry. Here is a guy who was a POW and stands by Kerry. But then again, we can ask Bush what his experience in Viet Nam depicted.............. oh wait, never mind. The only atrocities he saw was one of his guard buddies, after too many lone stars pick up a fat, toothless chick on one saturday night while on his two week stint of duty in Waco.

Wow, a real shocker that the current military is behind Bush. I mean really. 80-90% republican. Come on give me a break. The current military makes up the demographic base of this horrible party, white, born-again Christian, conservative, aggressive, homophobic, patiriotic, nationalistic citizens of this country. You think there going to vote for anyone other than someone who believes in corporate welfare and who throws money at defense contractors. Remember the Haliburton connection.

Loophole, I think you will find in the future that there are many vets of that war who will support what Kerry did and said after the war. I would hardly call this "unanimous". These are guys who Kerry debated after the war who were in favor of Viet Nam. They probably still are and/or hold a grudge against him for saying what he said. I'll take McCains position over these guys with an apparent agenda.

Eddie
 
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loophole

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eddie, unless i misunderstand who this group is, this is not a random assemblage of vietnam vets, these are all either enlisted men who served under kerry or officers from his chain of command. i cannot fathom that all of those who should share the bond of serving together under combat conditions would now brand kerry with the ultimate military insult - unfit to command. them's fighting words where i come from, and hard for me to ignore. there are no politics that could ever motivate me to make such a statement under like circumstances, and i find it hard to believe it is what drives those men.

btw, the office of senator is not in the chain of command of our armed forces.
 

DOGS THAT BARK

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Edward
"The reality is this..... Kerry served in Viet Nam, witnesses atrocities committed by fellow soldiers "

How do yopu witness anything that happens in the bush when your time in country is less than 4 months on Navy patrol boat?

and on his 20 years as a senator--obviously you missed the post on his archived voting record--and the records he refuses to release could not help his cause.

I told you from the start his flaunting his military would come back to bite him. From standpoint of vets that were there his experiences are quite unbelievable and his motives quite clear. They nominated the wrong guy--I think the dems would have had a winner if they went with the S.C. gent.

If the dems lose in Nov you can put the blame on the far left orgs that pushed their candidates Dean-Clarke and Kerry--that is where your campaigns funds were directed--and not toward the center candidates who will be the deciding factor in Nov.
 
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Eddie Haskell

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Wayne:

Apparently, you are calling him a liar as you imply how could he see anything from his patrol boat. Well, that patrol boat was a lot closer to the atrocities of Viet Nam than that air guard plane in Alabama.

Are you saying there were no atrocities in Viet Nam? (Me Lai) Are you saying we were right to be there? Again, I don' t recall Kerry "flaunting his record". But I must also give you this, that your boy in DC hasn't flaunted his record either. Big of him.

Again, I ask you to look at McCain and his comments about Kerry. Let me remind you, McCain is a republican and a Viet Nam vet and POW.

I agree about Edwards. I never said Kerry was the best man and would much rather have the contingency fee trial lawyer vetoing Mitch McConnels tort reform bills.

Hopefully we will see a Kerry/Edwards ticket or a dream Kerry/McCain ticket. Considering your boys both political and military record, an Eddie/65 ticket should be a winner.

But then again, the American electorate has to be the dumbest on the planet. At least those who would vote for the worst president this country has ever had again in 04.

Ed
 

djv

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I wonder who payed the ring men. There is always 3 or 4 that get the money to get things moveing.
Im surprisd it took all these years for them to show up. Lets see he has been a Senator for 18 years.
Anyone with half a brain will see through this smeer.
 

kosar

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Definitely a bunch of pissed off vets that didn't appreciate Kerry speaking out against the Vietnam war. I don't really think that on an individual basis it's politically motivated, but it's definitely being orchestrated by somebody. Probably Karl Rove, as usual.

It's funny that this is being framed as an outcry regarding Kerry being fit to be Commander in Chief. If war heroism is the standard, then we've only had a handful of Presidents in our countrys history that were 'fit'. As Clinton proved, you don't have to be a war hero to be a good president and to have a healthy love life(sit down guys).

Bush is lucky that this could never happen to him since you couldn't find anybody that actually served with him. Bartenders in Birmingham don't count.

I'm enjoying this new Bush ad where they say Kerry voted against 'vital tools in the war on terror' and go on to cite Kerrys voting record on the Patriot Missle and F-18's. WTF do those systems have to do with the 'war on terror', such that it is? Yep, gotta have those Patriot Missles to shoot down those rocket propelled grenades and naturally, cutting edge fighter jets are needed to battle the Al-Queda Air Force.

Now, if they included a little snippet in the ad of George Tenet asking Bush, pre 9/11, for 1500 some odd Arab Linguist Operatives and getting about 80, then that might have a little more to do with terrorism.
 

DOGS THAT BARK

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Good points Kosar I don't think it matters on Kerrys heroism or not but reflects on his character if reports are proven accurate
---but then again going back to Clinton analogy--character is not a qualification for president to many either.:)
 

kosar

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DOGS THAT BARK said:
Good points Kosar I don't think it matters on Kerrys heroism or not but reflects on his character if reports are proven accurate
---but then again going back to Clinton analogy--character is not a qualification for president to many either.:)

What reports exactly, Dogs? That Kerry stated that there were atrocities committed over in Vietnam? Obviously there were plenty of them and I doubt that it can really ever be proven either way whether Kerry personally witnessed any or not. Honestly though, I think it was a punk move for Kerry to tattle on his fellow soldiers, whether he witnessed them or just heard about them or whatever.

As far as 'character' goes, I doubt any president (the present one DEFINITELY included) could have his life/actions/decisions combed over endlessly without somebody being able to legitimately impugn his character. For years you've made somewhat pious comments about Clinton's 'character', while seemingly overlooking things about Bush that are waving right in front of your face.

I'll tell you one thing, i'd trade Dubya 'Mr. Character' Bush and this abortion that he got us into at the expense of chasing those responsible for 9/11 for Bubba and his Oral Office blow jobs any day of the week.
 

AR182

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eddie quote:"Frankly, AR, you can find and print as many one-sided articles as you want about Kerry's war record. Obviously, those veterans who, like some on this board, believe that the US can do no wrong, are going to come out against a veteran who tells it like it is. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do not think that your point and the point of your fellow right wingers is that Kerry's opposition to and revelations about what actually occured in Viet Nam is wrong, are you? You aren't saying what he did and said was based in truth?"


although i am voting for bush, i cut & pasted this article for this forum just to open up discussions. i thought some people on both sides would find this article interesting.

i remember how this country was divided over this war. some people did what ever they could to avoid going to nam. it didn't bother me that rich people joined the national guard, or took a college deferment, or did what ever they could to stay out of the war. i was in the first draft lottery & my number was 137 so i was called for the draft. unfortunately or fortunately, depending on point of view, i failed the physical (back) & was 4f. i had a very good friend who was a body builder & an excellent football player who also was drafted. he got a letter from a shrink ($200), dressed in his little brother's clothes, & went with his mother, holding her hand at all times, to the draft board in coney island to tell the authorities that he was unfit for the military. he got his 4f.

i was also involved in some of the student protests during the 60's, but stopped my protesting because somebody i knew was killed in nam. i thought that the protests were hurting the soldiers still over there.

years later my feeling about that war has changed. i am not so sure that nam was wrong because by us pulling out of nam, that nut job leader(forgot his name) went on to kill about 2 million people.

my point is it doesn't matter to me what bush or kerry did during the viet nam war. it was such a mixed up time that it has no bearing for me in deciding who to vote for in nov. my mind is made up & i don't see me changing my mind.

as far as me being a right winger, i don't think so. unless you call someone who voted for gore, clinton, clinton for the previous 3 elections & being pro-choice as a right winger.

i am neither a right winger or left winger. i side with issues, not parties.


kosar,

you don't know if rove is behind this rally. i tend to side with loophole & don't think these people are coming forward for political reasons.
 
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kosar

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AR182 said:
kosar,

you don't know if rove is behind this rally. i tend to side with loophole & don't think these people are coming forward for political reasons.

As I mentioned above, I don't think that individually it is a political issue. I do, however, think that 'somebody' Roveish is organizing this. These people are mad that Kerry ratted fellow soldiers out and I don't really blame them for feeling that way, but to think that this is spontaneous and not carefully planned would be naive, IMO. Much about the timing of these books coming out has been mentioned. What's the difference, other than the books describing recent actions/inaction of the sitting President as opposed to somebody protesting a war and describing some horrors 35 years ago?
 

TossingSalads

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Noone in Bush's outfit could say whether or not he is unfit to be commander in chief. They can't find anyone who knew him.
 

slim pickins

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AR182 said:
i remember how this country was divided over this war. some people did what ever they could to avoid going to nam.


Which includes most of the top adminstration goons. Bush, with his "champangne , I don't know where the fvck I was, tour" in national gaurd; Fvcking Dick "Son of Satan" Cheney; etc

Jes*s Chri$t, at least Kerry served. This administration makes me want to puke.
 
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